Sir, – Wading into the murky waters between philosophy and bodily functions or plumbing, Joe Humphreys notes that the connection can be traced back to Diogenes of Sinope, a contemporary of Socrates, and the original Cynic (“We are united by common urges: Freedom. Justice. The need to go to the toilet”, Unthinkable, Opinion & Analysis, November 18th). I would suggest it can be traced back even a little further.
Heraclitus, about two centuries earlier, ranks among the earliest of the pre-Socratics. He is probably best remembered for the idea that nothing is fixed, but rather in a constant state of flux – often through the phrases panta rhei or panta chorei. That is, everything flows or everything moves. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
Kinsale,
The welcome I received from Jennifer Johnston is something I will never forget
Oscars 2026: Will Hamnet with Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley get a best picture nomination?
‘My son is getting married in the summer, and the likelihood is that I’m going to be able to see that'
Ireland ‘actively hindering its citizens from building wealth and securing their future’
Co Cork.
